On 6 June 2023, the Hong Kong Government applied for an injunction to ban the 2019 protest anthem “Glory to Hong Kong”. The song was considered by many demonstrators to be the city’s national anthem and contained the phrase “liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times”, which the city’s first national security trial had ruled to be secessionist.

Hearing of the application was adjourned to 21 July 2023. The application sought to ban the melody, lyrics and any adaptations of “Glory”, making dissemination become illegal. Even singing the tune may lead to criminal repercussions. Media outlets may have to remove news reports containing the song, and tech firms that host the song on their platforms will be forced to censor it globally.

Aside from the lyrics, the Government also sought to ban “Glory” as it has often been mistaken as Hong Kong’s national anthem. This has happened several times at international events: including at the Rugby 7s in South Korea on 13 November 2022, at the Asian Classic Powerlifting Championship in Dubai on 2 December 2022, and at the Ice Hockey World Championship in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 28 February 2023.

“Glory” is already banned in schools in Hong Kong and police have intervened when it is played in public. In November 2022, a man was charged with sedition and denied bail for sharing a video of “Glory” with supportive messages on social media. He was swiftly convicted and sentenced to 8 months’ imprisonment. The Government had previously demanded global tech firms to censor or demote “Glory” on their platforms. Google refused such a request last December, stating that they needed proof the song was illegal. (Judgment in this application has been handed down on 28 July 2023.) 

(This story originally appeared in the May-June 2023 edition of our newsletter).